North Korean leader Kim Jong-un noted that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is working very hard on the foreign policy front, so he decided to meet with him at the resort in Wonsan.
„You have been very active in foreign policy recently. I thought it would be best to meet with you here rather than in Pyongyang because you can rest a little“, Kim Jong-un said. „You are the first foreign guest to our resort. I am very glad that we are meeting here.“
Lavrov joked that the first guest was Russian Ambassador Alexander Matsegora, who “made such a splash that I could not resist your offer“.
“Your visit is a very important moment for reaching a new level of our special and strong alliance, a very important moment in the development of cooperation in various areas“, the DPRK leader emphasized. He noted the importance of contacts in protecting the interests of both countries.
“Thank you for the opportunity to talk to you. This always gives us an incentive to develop our relations in the development of the agreements that you reached with President Putin, first of all, considering the Strategic Partnership Treaty“, he said. “We highly appreciated your visit to our embassy on May 9, your heartfelt, very warm speech on the occasion of the Victory.“
“Almost at the same time, the President, while watching the parade on Red Square, talked with the commanders of the units of the Korean People's Army, which, side by side with Russian soldiers, liberated the Kursk region“, Lavrov noted. “The President sends you his warmest greetings, confirming his commitment to all the agreements reached. He strongly hopes for the continuation of direct contacts in the nearest future.“
Lavrov informed Kim Jong-un about the talks with the head of the DPRK Foreign Ministry Choe Song-hui. “The talks were substantive and useful“, the minister said. According to him, the entire spectrum of bilateral issues was discussed, including preparations for this year's meeting of the intergovernmental commission.